Reinforced faces of club heads and related methods

Abstract

Some embodiments include a reinforced face of a club head. Other embodiments for related reinforced faces of club heads and related methods are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A club head comprising:
 a front face, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; and 
 one or more reinforcing structures; 
 wherein:
 the one or more reinforcing structures are coupled with the front face at the back surface; 
 the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material; 
 the one or more reinforcing structures are devoid of adjoining structure other than the back surface of the front face; and 
 at least one of the one or more reinforcing structures comprises at least one of:
 (a) a width of approximately 0.1905 centimeters to approximately 0.3175 centimeters; 
 (b) a length of approximately 1.000 centimeters to approximately 5.000 centimeters; or 
 c) a thickness of approximately 0.0381 centimeters to approximately 0.1905 centimeters. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 the front face comprises a first titanium material; 
 the one or more reinforcing structures comprise a second titanium material; and 
 the first titanium material is at least one titanium material grade above the second titanium material. 
 
     
     
       3. The club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 the front face comprises a front face material; and 
 the solidified welding material comprises a filler material. 
 
     
     
       4. The club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 the front face comprises a front face material; 
 the solidified welding material comprises a filler material; and 
 at least one of the front face material or the filler material comprises titanium. 
 
     
     
       5. The club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 the one or more reinforcing structures form one or more layers at the back surface; and 
 each of the one or more layers substantially forms one of a spiral pattern or a multi-striped pattern. 
 
     
     
       6. The club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 the one or more reinforcing structures alter at least one of:
 (a) a strength of the front face; 
 (b) a vibrational frequency of the front face; or 
 (c) a Young's modulus of elasticity of the front face. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 the front surface comprises a front surface portion; 
 the back surface comprises a back surface portion approximately corresponding and opposite to a target strike zone of the front surface portion; and 
 the one or more reinforcing structures are coupled to at least part of the back surface portion of the back surface of the front face. 
 
     
     
       8. The club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 the front face comprises a perimeter edge; and 
 the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface are distanced away from the perimeter edge. 
 
     
     
       9. The club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 the one or more reinforcing structures comprise a plurality of reinforcing layers at the back surface; 
 the plurality of reinforcing layers comprise:
 a first reinforcing layer aligned in a first direction; and 
 a second reinforcing layer aligned in a second direction different than the first direction; 
 
 and 
 the first and second reinforcing layers intersect each other. 
 
     
     
       10. A club head comprising:
 a front face, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; and 
 one or more reinforcing structures; 
 wherein:
 the one or more reinforcing structures are coupled with the front face at the back surface; 
 the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material; 
 the one or more reinforcing structures are devoid of adjoining structure other than the back surface of the front face; 
 the front face comprises a front face material; 
 the solidified welding material comprises a filler material; and 
 the filler material comprises the front face material. 
 
 
     
     
       11. A club head comprising:
 a front face, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; 
 one or more reinforcing structures; and 
 a void adjacent to the back surface; 
 wherein:
 the one or more reinforcing structures are coupled with a non-edge portion of the front face at the back surface; 
 the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material; 
 the one or more reinforcing structures are bounded by only the back surface and the void when the one or more reinforcing structures are coupled with the front face at the back surface; 
 the front face comprises a front face material; 
 the solidified welding material comprises a filler material; 
 the one or more reinforcing structures form one or more layers at the back surface; 
 at least one of the one or more layers substantially forms one of a spiral pattern, a cross pattern, or a striped pattern; 
 the club head comprises one of a driver-type club head, a fairway wood-type club head, a hybrid-type club head, an iron-type club head, a wedge-type club head, or a putter-type club head; and 
 at least one of the one or more reinforcing structures comprises at least one of:
 (a) a width of approximately 0.1905 centimeters to approximately 0.3175 centimeters; 
 (b) a length of approximately 1.000 centimeters to approximately 5.000 centimeters; or 
 (c) a thickness of approximately 0.0381 centimeters to approximately 0.1905 centimeters. 
 
 
 
     
     
       12. The club head of  claim 11  wherein:
 the one or more reinforcing structures alter at least one of:
 (a) a strength of the front face; 
 (b) a vibrational frequency of the front face; or 
 (c) a Young's modulus of elasticity of the front face. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The club head of  claim 11  wherein:
 the one or more layers comprise:
 a first reinforcing layer; and 
 a second reinforcing layer intersected with the first reinforcing layer. 
 
 
     
     
       14. A method comprising:
 providing a front face of a club head, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; and 
 providing one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face; 
 wherein:
 the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material; 
 the one or more reinforcing structures are devoid of adjoining structure other than the front face; and
 providing the front face comprises at least one of:
 before providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face, cleaning at least the back surface of the front face; 
 before providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face, smoothing at least the back surface of the front face; or 
 cutting a sheet of front face material with one of a laser or a water jet to form the front face. 
 
 
 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14  wherein:
 providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:
 coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at a non-edge portion separate from a perimeter edge of the back surface. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14  wherein:
 providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:
 coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at a non-edge portion of the back surface; 
 
 and 
 coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface comprises:
 welding a filler material to the back surface of the front face, the solidified welding material comprising the filler material. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14  wherein:
 providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:
 coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface; 
 
 coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface comprises:
 welding a filler material to the back surface of the front face, the solidified welding material comprising the filler material; 
 
 and 
 welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face comprises:
 arc welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14  wherein:
 providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:
 coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface; 
 
 coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface comprises:
 welding a filler material to the back surface of the front face, the solidified welding material comprising the filler material; 
 
 welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face comprises:
 arc welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face; 
 
 and 
 arc welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face comprises one of:
 metal inert gas welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face; or 
 tungsten inert gas welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 14  wherein:
 providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:
 coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface, wherein the front face comprises a front face material; 
 
 and 
 coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface comprises:
 welding a filler material to the back surface of the front face while the front face material and the filler material are in an annealed condition, the solidified welding material comprising the filler material. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 14  wherein:
 providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:
 coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface; 
 
 and 
 coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface comprises:
 welding a filler material to the back surface of the front face, the solidified welding material comprising the filler material; and 
 shielding the one or more reinforcing structures with one or more inert gases while welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face. 
 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 14  wherein:
 providing the front face comprises providing a front face material; and 
 providing the one or more reinforcing structures comprises providing a filler material, wherein the solidified welding material comprises the filler material. 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 14  wherein:
 providing the one or more reinforcing structures comprises:
 arranging the one or more reinforcing structures in one or more layers, and 
 arranging each of the one or more layers to form one of a spiral pattern or a multi-striped pattern. 
 
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 14  wherein:
 providing the one or more reinforcing structures comprises altering at least one of:
 (a) a strength of the front face; 
 (b) a vibrational frequency of the front face; or 
 (c) a Young's modulus of elasticity of the front face. 
 
 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 providing a club head, the club head comprising one of a driver-type club head, a fairway wood-type club head, a hybrid-type club head, an iron-type club head, a wedge-type club head, or a putter-type club head; 
 wherein:
 providing the club head comprises providing the front face and providing the one or more reinforcing structures. 
 
 
     
     
       25. A method comprising:
 providing a front face of a club head, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; and 
 providing one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face; 
 wherein:
 the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material; 
 the one or more reinforcing structures are devoid of adjoining structure other than the front face; 
 providing the front face comprises providing a front face material; and 
 providing the one or more reinforcing structures comprises providing a filler material, the filler material comprising the front face material. 
 
 
     
     
       26. A method comprising:
 providing a front face of a club head, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; and 
 providing one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face; 
 wherein:
 the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material; 
 the one or more reinforcing structures are devoid of adjoining structure other than the front face; 
 the one or more reinforcing structures comprise a plurality of reinforcing layers at the back surface; 
 the plurality of reinforcing layers comprise:
 a first reinforcing layer aligned in a first direction; and 
 a second reinforcing layer aligned in a second direction different than the first direction; 
 
 and 
 the first and second reinforcing layers intersect each other.